Khash Khatan
Khash Khatan '''(Airi'ut: хаш хатан, born '''Toqto’a-yin ökin Himavasati Sabuya) is the founder and first Great Khatun of the Jade Horde, which is currently the largest empire by land area on the content of Issylra. She came to power by uniting many of the nomadic tribes between the Tsast Tal-Kheer steppes and Belchir plains. After founding the empire and being proclaimed "Khash Khatan", she launched the Horde invasions that are attempting to finish conquering the land from the northern coast to the southern coast. Invasions and campaigns are often accompanied by large-scale massacres of tribes should they refuse to comply. As a result, Khash Khatan and her empire have a fearsome reputation among local, more well-established states and empires. Beyond her military accomplishments, Khash Khatan also has advanced the society of the Jade Horde in other ways. She has decreed the adoption of Common script as the Horde's writing system and introduced the first codified system of law to the Hordelands. She also practices meritocracy and has encouraged religious tolerance in the Jade Horde. Although many outside of the Hordelands consider her a genocidal ruler, those under her rule consider her fair and even soft-hearted. The brutality of her campaigns is offset in the eyes of neighboring kingdoms by her insistence on bringing the Saffron Route under one cohesive political body for safe communication and trade through the continent, her abolition of slavery in the Hordelands, and her acceptance of surrender. Her establishment of the city of Kharkorhum a decade prior has led to vast profits and a wildly diverse populace among the people of the Jade Horde. Appearance Khash Khatan is a short, round tabaxi whose appearance is based on that of a snow leopard. In-Game Description The figure is dressed simply in a green de-el robe with a thick brown belt and golden embroidery. A brown headband with long strings of beads of jade, white and gold frames her face. She is a tabaxi with a permanent smile and warm green eyes that fall on each of you in turn as you approach. This cat is small, 5’2” at best, and very in shape, as long as you define the shape as round. Her fur is thick and silver with black spots, a white belly that stretches up to her chin and a bushy tail that is almost as long as her entire body. Unlike most tabaxi, her ears are short and rounded on top of her head. Her claws are seemingly permanently extended. Personality At odds with her fearsome reputation, Khash Khatan is patient and discerning, with a good sense of humor and an unshakable confidence in herself. At times, her anger overwhelms her and her violence is swift and brutal. These times are few and far between and most of the time her countenance comes off as approachable despite her station. Relationships The only surviving members of Khash Khatan's bloodline are aunt Tsastkheer-ün Qara Agafia, uncle Tsastkheer-ün Arasen, and half-brother Toqto’a-yin kö'ün Yisun. She also demonstrates strong relationships with the members of the Jade War Council, consisting of Leader of the Vanguard Alabyran Whitethistle, War Archon Batardin-nu kö'ün Khasindu, War Archon Qilaufein Auvrymtor, Chief Intelligence Officer Doghshin-un ökin Ibakha, Captain of the Guard Tayichigud-yun kö'ün Sem Kuyuk, Lieutenant General Zûmug Vunakanathi, Lieutenant General Saʿad udh-Dhābiḥ, and General Kesdiyim-un Samga. She is married to Yaryk Allaxul, but has done so purely "for political reasons" which she does not deign to speak about. Early Life Lineage Himavasati Sabuya was born to Airi'ut bek ''Tsastkheer-ün Toqto'a (also known as '''Arslan Khan') and his fifth wife, Himavasati Tsang-mo (also known as Himavasati Aigiarn). She was the tenth child born to bek Toqto'a and the only daughter among her nine brothers. Birth and early life Little is known about Himavasati Sabuya's upbringing. According to legend, she was born "under an aurora in the dead of night" and was bullied mercilessly over her beast blood as a child by both her older brothers and her fellow tribe children. Like the entire Airi'ut royal bloodline, she was trained first and foremost as a monk in the Way of the Drunken Master, learning how to brew spirits and libations before she learned to pick up a sword. Like all tribe members, she was trained in horseback riding, archery, and wrestling. Unlike most of her brethren, she excelled at wrestling over intellectual pursuits and would gain the nickname at this time of 'The Hellcat' for her reputation in the ring. She also received extensive training in the use of the offensive quarterstaff, which would be her weapon of choice beyond her hands for many years. Death of Toqto'a and exile After the death of Arslan Khan, Toqto’a-yin kö'ün Nigandai (also known as Burilgi Khan) took the mantle of bek of the Airi'ut tribe. He beheaded his fellow triplets, five of his half-brothers and killed all of Toqto'a's wives, including Himavasati Tsang-mo. Sabuya challenged him to honorable combat in order to save her last brother, Toqto’a-yin kö'ün Yisun. She won but was banished along with Yisun and told never to return lest she be trampled and beheaded. While Yisun stayed behind in Vasselheim, Sabuya joined the company of Yaryk Allaxul on a personal expedition to find out more about his lineage and, later, to perform a miracle in order to ascend the ranks of the Church of Pelor. During her exile to Tal'dorei, she learned to read, write, and negotiate. She also returned to Issylra with a variety of books and lectures on war tactics, sciences, and trade economies. Uniting the Jade Horde Return to power After Yaryk completed his personal quest and left Sabuya without a purpose, she returned to her clan where she beheaded Nigandai and mother Dzakhohi-yin ökin Sukhbataar-khatum and assumed her rightful place as Khash Khatan, bek of the Airi'ut clan. Yisun returned with her and took his place as her advisor and personal doctor. She then used her new position to dictate a number of reforms she was enforcing and lay out her plan for the future in a written manifesto. This document, the Manifesto of the Jade Horde, would be the first time the Jade Horde was mentioned by name and would shape the doctrine and politics of the Horde in the years to come. Military campaigns The first clan to be conquered was the Kesdiyim clan, who had warred with Khash Khatan's native Airi'ut clan for a number of years prior to her departure. The numbers of the Jade Horde would continue to flourish as they made their way southward, arriving at the tribal stronghold of Volga Khitai in the dead of summer. By this point, the number of soldiers at Khash Khatan's command would number almost 8,000. During this time period, she took Yaryk Allaxul as her first husband and named Kazahg-un Sartak as successor to the title of Khatan in the event of her death. Defeat at Volga Khitai The forces of the Jade Horde were dealt a severe blow with the death of Kazahg-un Sartak at Volga Khitai, the first general of the Jade Horde underneath the Khatan. Along with the general, half the Jade Vanguard was killed in action and about a third of the troops were either killed or incinerated. This would be the first experience fighting against tribal duuchin that Khash Khatan would claim. Most of the mages in the stronghold were warlocks and clerics pledged to the Strife Emperor. Accounts of the Battle of Volga Khitai differ. Most accounts establish that the Khatun challenged the bek ''of Volga Khitai to honorable combat, which was accepted. Accounts differ on how the battle proceeded and who Khash Khatun fought. Those in Volga Khitai at the time of the battle insist that a warforged champion was sent out to fight the khatan, while those on the battlefield insist that it was a black-skinned ogre clad in jagged black armor with yellow eyes. Those who bore witness on the battlefield also insist that the combatants talked to each other for a period of almost ten full minutes before Khash Khatan spit in the eye of her opponent. Khash Khatan won the battle regardless and the forces of Volga Khitai honored the result of the fight, surrendering to the forces of the Jade Horde peacefully. This would be the first battle in which she wielded the Standard of the Jade Horde and the battle prior would be the only defeat of her military career. Sole ruler of the Hordelands After the fall of Volga Khitai, the war campaign to conquer the Belchir plains and establish the united Hordelands went smoothly. It is estimated that Khash Khatan lost no more than 100 troops during the three-year long campaign of conquest, despite the fact that in this time she conquered 93 tribes and several established townships along the Saffron Route. During this time, the numbers of the Horde assembled would swell to almost 80,000. 40,000 of those were required to receive military training and serve the Horde in further military campaigns. A further 20,000 voluntarily received training in case of siege. Establishment of Kharkorhum ''See: Kharkorhum As the war campaign slowed and the number of members of the nomadic Horde became almost unmanageable, Khash Khatan made the decision to establish the first permanent city of the Horde directly on the Saffron Route in the middle of the Belchir plains, right at the edge of Horde territory. The city, now over a decade old, houses 37,000 people in about 38 districts and the city limits. The permanent Jade War Council, University of Duuchin, and other permanent governmental structures for the Horde are established here along with medical facilities, schooling facilities and the first civilian guard force.